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Dec 02

Change Up Your Workouts!

To change or not to change…that is the question. The answer: change can be a good thing for both your body and your mind.

Maybe you’ve gotten into a workout routine and continue to do the “same ol’, same ol’” things you know best. The suggestion to do something different may leave you feeling confused. But let’s look at the some of the benefits, including eliminating boredom and avoiding plateaus.

Many people find that doing the same workout routine becomes monotonous and as a result they lose interest in exercising regularly. Research has shown that adding variety to an exercise program can help improve adherence. Exercise scientists observed that those who modified their workouts every few weeks appeared to enjoy their workouts more and were more inclined to stick with their exercise programs when compared to individuals who followed the same workout regimens week after week.

Aside from alleviating boredom, varying your exercise routine can also help you stay physically challenged. Many of the body’s physiological systems (e.g. the muscular system) adapt to an exercise program within approximately six weeks. Failure to modify your exercise routine will cause you to reach a plateau, as your body will have adapted to the repetitive training stimulus. Changing your routine every four to six weeks will continually challenge your body’s systems and help you to reach your goals.

When initially developing the services at Thrive Wellness, we knew that designing new monthly workout routines was important for clients to reach their goals and stay motivated. What we didn’t know at that time, however, was how much our members would look forward to each new monthly workout. It’s not totally like Christmas but the excitement definitely picks up each month when the new routine is unwrapped!

There are several ways you can incorporate change into your workouts. For example, if you regularly walk or jog, try adding intervals of higher intensity to your routine. If you walk, add more hills or pick up the pace for short bursts. If you jog, sprint to a given landmark and then jog to the next one. A nice alternative for resistance training involves changing the sequence of your exercises, the amount of resistance and the number of repetitions. Another option is to replace some or all of the exercises in your workout routine (e.g. substitute a dumbbell pectoral fly exercise on a stability ball for your typical barbell bench press.)

Of course, the most important thing to do is…do something! If you’re not challenging your body on a regular basis, just get moving! Start at your own level (of course, consulting your doctor first is recommended) develop a daily routine and make it a priority.

If you want more guidance in changing your regular workouts, talk to a certified personal trainer. They will be able to safely guide you on making the appropriate changes to meet your goals.

Remember that by varying exercise routine, you will not only stay physically challenged, but mentally stimulated as well.